Spill-proof cover mounting for hoppers or containers



Sept. 27, 1955 E. s. GANDRUD 2,718,978

SPILL-PROOF COVER MOUNTING FOR HOPPERS OR CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 22, 1950 4 Zinnentor zzmdd 6m! (Ittomegs United States Patent SPILL-PROOF COVER MOUNTING FOR HOPPERS OR CONTAINERS Ebenhard S. Gandrud, Owatonna, Minn.

Application November 22, 1950, Serial No. 197,089

1 Claim. (Cl. 22035) My present invention relates generally to a machine for broadcasting or distributing granular fertilizer, seeds, or the like, and more specifically is in the nature of an improvement on the structure disclosed in my prior United States Letters Patent No. 2,350,107.

An important object of my invention is the provision of a machine of the above type having a hopper and a closure member therefor, and means for preventing granular material from being spilled between the opened closure member and the adjacent marginal edge of the hopper when said material is being shoveled or otherwise dumped thereinto.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel hinge arrangement for a closure member of the above type whereby granular material placed in the hopper is prevented from coming into contact with the hinge means.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel combination hinge structure and mechanism associated therewith operative to maintain the closure in open or closed positions.

A still further object ofmyinvention is the provision of closure operating mechanism of the above type which remains above the normal level of material in the hopper in all positions of the closure.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of novel brace structure for a hopper closure of the above type which will permit said closure to be made from relatively thin light-weight materials without sacrificing strength or lasting qualities thereof.

Another object of my invention is the provision of closure and hinge structure therefor, as set forth, which is simple and inexpensive to produce, which comprises a minimum of parts, and which is efficient in operation and durable in use.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices, combinations of devices, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective'of a spreading machine incorporating my invention; 4

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in end elevation on an enlarged scale, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail in section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 1 and on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 5 is a view in transverse section taken substantially on the line 5-S of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale and showing a different position of some of the parts.

Referring with greater detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in its entirety a hopper or receptacle including front and rear walls 2 and 3 respectively, end

walls 4, and an intermediate wall or partition 5. The hopper 1 is supported by a pair of axially spaced pneumatic tire-equipped ground Wheels 6 and is adapted to be moved over a field by attachment of suitable means such as a tractor, not shown, to the front end of a draw bar '7 attached to the machine as indicated at 8. Connections between the draw bar 7 and the hopper 1 further include laterally extending brace members 9 anda central brace member 10. The above structure, as well as the mechanism for adjusting the quantity of material to be distributed, and agitator means for said material within the hopper 1, is fully disclosed in my prior patent, above identified. Said structure not forming an essential part of the instant invention, it is not thought necessary to describe the same in detail herein.

The hopper 1 is open-topped and reinforced about its marginal edge by angle irons or the like 11 and 11' welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the front and rear Walls 2 and 3. A pair of identical closure members 12are each mounted for opening and closing movements with respect to the hopper 1 by hinges comprising pintles 13, one of which is shown, projecting longitudinally outwardly of the hoper end walls 4, and journalled in ears 14 rigidly secured to the closure members 12 longitudinally inwardly of a marginal depending flange 15 integrally formed with each closure member 12. At their adjacent inner ends, the closure members 12 are provided with generally U-shaped hinge forming members 16, one end 17 of each of which is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to a pair of rectangular reinforcing frames 18 one each of which is suitably fastened to the inner side of each closure 12. The opposite end 19 of each of the members 16 underlies a portion of the angle iron 11 and is fulcrurned in the corner defined by the upper edge of the rear Wall 3 and the under side of 'said angle iron 11 and as indicated at 20, see Fig. 5. The corners 20 are substantially in axial alignment with the'hi'ng e pintles 13. i

I provide means for maintaining each of the closure members 12 in an open position for loading the hopper 1, said means comprising links 21, one each associated with one of the closure members 12. Each link 21 is pivotally secured at one end to a lug 22 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the intermediate portion of one of the U-shaped hinge-forming members 16, and cooperate therewith to form toggle joints. The other end portions of the links 21 each extend transversely through a difierent one of a pair of studs or the like 23 mounted in the partition 5 for rotary movements with respect thereto. Each of the links 21 is slidably. mounted in its cooperating stud 23, and opening and closing movements of the closures 12 will cause their respective toggle joints to move from-one side to the other of dead-center relationship. The links 21- are each provided with a flange 24 in closely spaced relationship to the pivotal connections thereof with the lugs 22, and coil compression springs 25 are interposed between said flanges 24 and their corresponding bosses 23, where,- by to exert yielding bias on the closures 12 toward their open or closed positions when the toggle joints are disposed on opposite sides of dead-center relationship. It should be noted that the toggle joints comprising the members 16, the links 21, and the studs 23 are disposed sufiiciently close to the top of the hopper so as to be above the normal level of material in the hopper in all positions of the closure members 12. This arrangement maintains the toggle joint free from contact with the fertilizer and prevents the same from interfering with the otherwise free action of the toggle joint.

Frequently, when the hopper is being filled with fertilizer or seed, either by shoveling or by pouring the granular material into the hopper from sacks or the like, some of the material is apt to spill into the space between the 3 marginal edge of the hopper defined by the stiffening member 11 and the inside of the closure 12. Then when the closures 12 are moved to their hopper closing position, the material lodged between the closure and the upper rear marginal portion of the hopper will fall to the ground and be lost or wasted. To overcome this deficiency, I provide an elongated apron 26 for each closure 12, each apron being formed to provide a flange 27 that is spot welded or otherwise secured to the interior of its respective closure 12 in a manner to dispose the apron 26 in closely spaced relationship to the stiffening member 11 of the hopper. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the apron 26 projects into the interior of the hopper 1 in all positions of the closure 12 and when the closure 12 is moved to its open position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, the apron 26 overlies the stiflening member or angle iron 11' and the space therebetween and the opened closure member 12. Any granular material such as fertilizer or seed which may accidentally lodge upon the apron during the hopper-filling operation, will fall, under the action of gravity, into the hopper when the closure member 12 is moved to its hopper-closed position, indicated by full lines in Fig. 4 and as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. As shown in Fig. 3, each apron 26 extends substantially the entire length of the compartment defined by the front and rear walls 2 and 3, the intermediate wall 5, and one of the end walls 4, one end of each of said aprons terminating in spaced relation to the central partition sufficiently to permit clearance therebetween and said partition for the hinge member 16 and its associated toggle-forming parts.

It is to be particularly observed that the free edge of the flange portion 15 on the rear edge of the closure engages the outer face of the rear hopper wall 3 in a line substantially below the upper edge of the wall. The flange thus provides a stop for limiting movement of the closure to its open position in which it is substantially vertically disposed.

Thus the closure in its open position provides with the upper portion of the rear hopper wall 3 a material collecting pocket which opens at a position capable of receiving a portion ofthe material being introduced into the hopper. Any material entering the pocket will of course be lost upon closing the closure since upon movement of the flange away from the rear wall any material having collected in the pocket will fall to the ground.

The improved apron 26 includes a portion which extends into the hopper in all positions of the closure and in the open position of the closure as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 the free edge portion of the apron extends across the mouth of the pocket to preclude the introduction of material thereinto.

Securing the toggle-forming hinge members 16 to the frame 18 is a feature of my invention which permits the use of closure members 12 of relatively thin lightweight sheet metal, said rectangular frames absorbing the thrust of the springs 25. This arrangement eliminates any direct thrust upon the material in any concentrated point of the closure members 12 and prevents undue flexing of the material and ultimate fracture thereof.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the objectives set forth; and, while I have shown and described a commercial embodiment of my novel device, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claim.

What I claim is:

In an open-topped hopper body for receiving granular material, said body including a rear substantially vertical wall and a closure member pivotally secured in spaced relation to said hopper body on an axis adjacent the rear wall for pivotal movement between a closed hopper position and an open hopper position, a flange portion having a free edge depending from said closure member, said flange portion being disposed in a plane substantially parallel with and outwardly spaced from the plane of said rear wall when said closure member is in the closed hopper position; said flange'portion being disposed in a plane substantially normal to the plane of said rear wall and having the free edge thereof supportingly engaging the outer surface of the rear wall when said closure member is in said open hopper position, said spaced relation of said closure member to said rear wall providing a gap therebetween the lower portion of said gap being closed by the free edge of said flange and the upper portion of said gap being open when said closure member is in said open hopper position allowing granular material to enter the gap and be collected therein when the hopper is being filled and subsequent to the filling of the hopper such collected material is discharged externally of the hopper upon movement of the flange portion from said substantially normal position relative to said rear wall to the substantially parallel position relative to the rear wall; the improvement comprising an apron portion rigidly secured to said closure member on a line substantially parallel with and in spaced relation to said flange, said apron portion comprising a main body portion extending the full longitudinal length of the open top of said hopper body and depending forwardly and downwardly from said closure member partially about said axis and terminating in a free edge portion disposed within said hopper body, said free edge portion of said apron portion being disposed below the axis and closely adjacent the inner surface of said rear wall when said closure member is in said closed hopper position, said free edge of said apron portion being substantially spaced from the inner surface of said inner wall with said main body portion of said apron portion extending across and closing the upper portion of said gap when said closure member is in said open hopper position to preclude the admission of any granular material thereinto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 766,892 Olinger Aug. 9, 1904 1,122,217 Nightingale Dec. 22, 1914 1,732,964 Cammer Oct. 22, 1929 1,735,879 Reynolds Nov. 19, 1929 1,853,708 Teaf Apr. 12, 1932 2,053,796 Keith et al. Sept. 8, 1936 2,510,231 Juzwiak June 6, 1950 2,557,716 Allee June 19, 1951 2,624,492 Seltzer Jan. 6, 1953 2,664,221 Seltzer Dec. 29, 1953 

